A Summary taken from the history of Framingham
Compiled by P. Davidson-Peters

The hostilities against the Eastern Indians was declared on the 13th of June in 1722 by the Governor and Council of Massachusetts, and was fought mostly by the Massachusetts people who were aided by New Hampshire. Although most of the fighting took place in the province of Maine, the French Indians from Canada also began attacking frontier settlements along the northern border of Massachusetts and these towns called upon their men to join the militia.

Among some of the detachments sent to assist were: Jonthan Lamb, employed to transport military stores from Boston to Rutland - the latter of which was an exposed frontier town and an objective point of attack by the Indians. It had been largely settled by families from Sudbury and Framingham when Moses How and Joseph Stevens removed from Framingham just about two years before the war broke out.

Stevens' family suffered an enormous loss on the 14th of August of 1723 when he and four of his sons were making hay in a meadow and were fired upon by the Indians in a surprise attack. Although the father was able to escape, two of his sons - Joseph age 10 and Samuel age 12, were killed and two others, Phinehas age 16 and Isaac age 7, were taken prisoner.

A few minutes after the Stevens family was attacked, Rev. Joseph Willard was killed and scalped; and with his clothes and the two sons of Stevens, the Indians headed for Canada. Phinehas was redeemed about a year later and became a distinguished captain and Isaac was given by his captors to the Cagnowagas and was redeemed in April of 1725. The redemption money had been raised in part by contributions in the different towns and a colleciton at the Framingham meeting house.

Father Ralle's War was ended by a treaty of peace with the Indians which was signed at Boston on the 15th of December in 1725 and ratified at Falmouth, Maine on the 5th of August 1726. Some of the men listed in service were: Sgt. Thomas Buckminster, known as the "Rutland Scout" in service from 25 Jul to 14 Nov 1722; David Pratt, Philip Pratt and Thompson Wood; St. Nahum Ward of Marlborough serving from 25 Aug to 28 Nov 1722 with Gideon Bridges, Jermiah Belknap, Hackaliah Bridges, Simon Goddard, Jeremiah Wedges, and Benoni Hemenway of Framingham. Captain Samuel Wright's Rutland company was in service from 10 Nov to 10 Jun 1724 with Daniel How, Benjamin Hemenway, Mark Whitney and Daniel Rider of that town; Daniel How and William Brintnall were in Captain Samuel Willard's scout from Lancaster to Rutland and northward in 1725.

References and Additional Reading - Outside Links to Google Books

• Barber, John Warner, Thrilling incidents in American history, Miller, 1868

• Barber, J.W. United States Book of Interesting Events in the History of the United States, 1834

• Fitt, Arthur Percy, All about Northfield: a brief history and guide, Northfield Press, 1910

• Sanders, Daniel Clark, A history of the Indian wars with the first settlers of the United States, G.P. Humphrey, 1828

• Temple, Josiah Howard and Adams, Charles, History of North Brookfield, Massachusetts ..., Boston, 1887

• Temple, Josiah H. and Sheldon, George, A History of the Town of Northfield, Massachusetts ..., J. Munsell, 1875

Updated 25 Feb 2013
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